Well, on the original topic:
Like a lot of folks, my Mom was my first influence. She started out cooking on the family farm for all her siblings and the farm hands. I started learning a few basic things shortly after my father passed away. Scrambled eggs, hamburger helper, soup starter, etc. Those are easy.
After my Mom remarried, when I was 19/20, my step-father was doing some pretty broad hinting about my getting a place of my own. I knew that soon, I would be out on my own, and that other than burgers, hamburger helper, and a few other things, I really didn't know how to cook. I didn't feel like starving. I bought a few cookbooks, and set about teaching myself some things. More than just "how to cook", but "what to buy", especially "what can I buy cheaply" to make XXX dish.
I was starting to get a handle on things.
Suddenly, a lot sooner than I had anticipated, I had an apartment, and a roommate (my grandmother). My Mom warned me that "Granny" only knew how to cook three things, beans, coffee, and toast, and liked all three burnt, so if I wanted anything good to eat, I had to cook it myself.
Isn't it amazing how an empty belly motivates a person to learn to cook?
I was given a few older cookbook by my mother. I bought a few more on my own. Within a year, I was "fairly" competent. Within 4 years, I was getting really adventurous, at least, so I thought. Some of my co-workers had noted my ability to cook at home, since I was bringing in my own lunches. A couple even suggested that since I liked to cook, why don't I go get my Culinary Arts degree and cook in real restaurants?
The rest is history.
On some of the side-topics:
Yes, I can sew. I got tired of waiting for my Mom to sew my merit badges and/or new rank onto my BSA uniform, so I "borrowed" one of her needles and thread and started doing it myself. She even gave me a sewing machine, which I know a little about using. I have a pic, I may have to post, of my in my Capote (handmade by me), using a metal detector in the snow up in Michigan.
Yes, I can shoot a gun (thanks to Rifle Shooting Merit Badge), although I don't own any.
I have driven a stick, once. I can probably do it again, but I prefer automatics.
... I was amazed how common guns were when I moved down there. Aside from my step-granddads hunting rifle there were just no guns around in my childhood and there it was like having a blender... and I love RX7s.
